Urban Ecosystems: Structures, Functions and Designs

Course content

Cities are hot spots in terms of resource consumption, waste
production and emission of greenhouse gasses. At the same time
cities are global centers for economy and culture, and home to more
than half of the world’s population. Climate resilience and
sustainable resource management depend – among other things - on
our ability to design cities. This is true for both developing and
developed countries.

The course focuses on the ability of green infrastructures to
contribute to resource management, climate adaptation and
social-cultural performance of urbanized areas. This is sometimes
referred to as ecosystem services. How can knowledge on vegetation,
soil, air, climate and water be used to suggest overall green
structures and specific elements for stormwater management, water
supply, biodiversity support, mitigation of urban heat island,
etc.? The suggested physical changes must at the same time enhance
urban livability, and be doable in terms of administrative and
economic resources. Which theories and methods can be applied, and
what is the role of environmental experts, landscape architectures
and urban planners in this context? The main focus of the course is
on the freshwater cycle in urban settings and adaptation to more
extreme weather conditions, mainly in a developed world context,
but all mentioned subjects are covered.

The course is inviting students from a number of disciplines to
participate. It is relevant for urban designers and planners as
well as for agronomists, geographers, biologists, etc. The ambition
of the teachers is to make students able to transfer scientific
knowledge into new urban designs at multiple scales, in order to
increase sustainability and climate resilience. As such the course
contains a number of lectures in which relevant knowledge from
environmental chemistry, agronomy, climatology and biology is
presented. The lectures are supported by several exercises and
study tours for a better understanding. By means of innovative
learning methods the theory is transferred to design criteria and
specific design proposals.

This course provides an understanding of structures, functions
and dynamics of urban ecosystems, and how ecosystem services can be
optimized, re-designed and managed to support sustainable urban
development. The course combines urban planning and landscape
architecture with soil hydrology, environmental chemistry,
agronomy, climatology and biology. The aim is to have students,
teachers and external actors that represent different disciplines
to exchange, apply and evaluate concepts and methods for
sustainable urban development.

Knowledge:
- To be familiar with theory and principles of urban ecosystem
science
- To understand causes and effects of climate change in urban areas
- To be familiar with urban growth and dynamics in Denmark and
globally
- To know quantitative and qualitative components of the urban
water cycle
- To be familiar with major factors controlling biodiversity
in cities
- To understand relations between natural processes (e.g. urban
climates, the water cycle, biodiversity, soils) and urban form and
function
- To gain an overview over case studies of sustainable urban water
management and climate change adaptation, from city to site scale.

Skills:
- To be able to transfer ecosystem concepts and principles to
problem oriented studies.
- To be able to apply knowledge and methods for the analysis and
design of sustainable urban ecosystems.

Competencies:
- To work in multidisciplinary groups and present results and
knowledge to other students and external actors.
- To undertake a problem oriented study, design solutions and make
evaluation
- To acquire in-depth knowledge on specific aspects of urban
ecosystems structure and function in an independent manner.
- To reflect upon and discuss the value systems that underlie the
structure and functioning of various urban
ecosystems.

The course consists of approx. 15 lectures, approx. 15 in-class
exercises, a number of paper presentations, one full day excursion
or two half day excursions, an individual written assignment and a
group project. Guest lecturers are included ad hoc.

The written exam is a test in the mechanisms, potentials and
limitations associated with different ecosystem services.
The individual written assignment is prepared during the course and
handed in during week 6 of the course. The final mark is based on
the individual written assignment (40 %), individual reflection on
group assignment (30 %), and the written exam (30 %).